1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to novel hydroxy fluoroalkyl-substituted styrenes and polymeric compositions containing them.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hydroxy fluoroalkyl-substituted styrenes of the prior art have been reported in the literature, See Pearce et al., "Polymer Compatibilization Through Hydrogen Bonding", Journal of Macromolecular Science--Chemistry, A21, pp. 1181-1216 (1954), as having an effect on the miscibility thereof with other polymers through the phenomena known as "hydrogen bonding". Pearce et al. disclosed the synthesis of p-(hexafluoro-2-hydroxyl isopropyl) styrene as a copolymer with styrene by radical polymerization in solution. Synthesis of the monomer p-(hexafluoro-2-hydroxyl isopropyl) styrene is also disclosed by Pearce et al. as well as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,179,640, the entire disclosures of both of which are herein incorporated by reference.
Pearce et al. proposed polymer blends by solution blending in common solvents, such as toluene for various styrene copolymers with PVME, PVAC, PMMA, PEMA, PBMA, PPO, PC, VTL(1), and VTL(II); methylene chloride for blends with PSAN and PDMS; chloroform for blends with PVMK and PPSE; and m-cresol for blends with KOD and TRO. Films were prepared by casting blend solutions onto glass or polytetrafluoroethylene plates at ambient temperature, except for m-cresol solutions which were cast onto a glass plate placed in a vacuum oven at 110.degree. C. for rapid evaporation of m-cresol without thermal decomposition of the samples.
The resulting films were used for thermal analysis and cloud point measurement. It is reported that solvent-free films having uniform thickness were prepared with special care for infrared spectroscopy studies.
Pearce et al. concluded that although the experimental data substantiated the notion of miscibility enhancement through specific interaction important questions were left unanswered and deficiencies were noted. For example, in the mixtures of Pearce et al. long sequences of polystyrene (PS) segments, approximately 50 on the average between hydrogen bonds, were formed. Such long sequences of PS segments are inherently immiscible with PBMA segments.